Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Right Preaching of the Word

I didn't listen to this lesson until an hour and a half ago. It was so timely. So timely, that I went down, decorated the tree and came back. But it's more Adam Kaloostian on URC learning.org. He wraps up the right preaching of the word by talking about the right preaching of the word.

1. What are the links in the golden evangelistic chain of Romans 10:12-17? I love this passage. Along with Hebrews 10, Romans 10 is starting to be my answer to everything. First, people need to be saved. How are they saved? They believe in Jesus. How do they believe in Jesus? They hear Christ's voice. How do they hear Christ's voice? A preacher. Where do they get a preacher? He has to be sent. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of Christ.

2. What are some other passages that tell us preaching is a special, Spirit-filled means of grace? 1 Timothy 4:16 -- Paul tells Timothy that preaching ensures salvation for himself and for those who hear him. 1 Peter 1:10, Peter starts with Old Testament prophets who would preach Christ. Moving to verse 12, he talks about preachers who now know the complete Gospel. Grace and salvation comes because preachers preach the Gospel through the Holy Spirit.

3. For this question, Adam had a quotation from Henrich Bullinger which I won't quote in full. The first line says, "The preaching of the word of God is the word of God." Big Amen. Hearing comes from the Words of Christ which are our Bible. If we don't preach from the Bible on Sunday, we are failing at our job. So, here is Adam's question:
What are some ways in which or places where people today may be tempted to expect God or to speak aside from the God-ordained means of grace?
Self-proclaimed pastors/bishops/apostles who are untrained or self-taught, unexamined by elders to see if God really called them, and some of them even get famous. When Jesus was with his disciples, he trained them for three years. This is why our seminaries take three years. This is why you need to be educated and know what the Bible actually says and know church history and God's covenant plan so that you suddenly don't start preaching dispensationalism which somehow gives Jews a different ending than us, forgetting that we were grafted into Israel.
Not only is there false teacing, people talk about their opinions, how to live your life, adding to the WOG.
The only way to know what Christ is saying is in the Bible. So many people go about thinking they need what Christ doesn't provide. If we needed it, Christ would provide it, and he has given us everything we need in his Scriptures and in his sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. You need his Law, what Scripture demands, his Gospel, and the Holy Spirit's leading. Don't let some tyrant preacher lead your life and tell you what to do in a system of legalism. Get both the Law and the Gospel from Scripture, checking what the preacher says. Don't accept any "truths" not revealed in the WOG.

About Me

I served as a youth pastor for 3 years. Then I got married to Tim and now attend a different church. I play guitar in their chapel service and am involved in children's ministry and work at their school. I'm Reformed and conservative.